Mythology & Folklore

In "Why It's So hard to Hear Negative Feedback" the author, Herrera, discusses the physical reaction we experience when hearing negative feedback, but I think he overlooks the emotional response. In any project, large or small, we tend to think of our product as a piece of ourselves. This makes it difficult to separate negative feedback regarding our work from insults to our very person. I know I experienced this powerfully when I was working on writing a novel. I found that I would become very defensive of each part of the work. The closer I was to the reader (and the more that person's opinion meant to me), the more it hurt me. I learned that I needed to distance myself from the work in order to allow it to grow. And as the piece grew better, I grew to be a better writer. Feedback was vital to that process once I was able to distance myself from the emotional response. Negative Emotions. Source:  Needpix.com Regarding the emotional response, I have witnessed...

There are so many possible topics to choose from, that even this brainstorming assignment is a little intimidating. My favorite topics in studying ancient literature has always been finding similar themes or  topics from all around the world and seeing the different perspectives. In keeping with that idea, I was drawn to the idea of studying Ghost Stories. More specifically looking at the different ways that people from different cultures throughout history view and prepare for the afterlife. I would specifically like to look at early examples of Ghosts stories. Source:  Ghost Stories Likewise, it could be fun to choose an animal and examine depictions and descriptions of that animal throughout history and across cultures. I once wrote a short story that I always imagined someday turning into a novel. The story touched on the jaguar shamans and were-jaguars in the mesoamerican cultures, like the Mayans. This could be a great opportunity to learn more about these stories ...

The Eclipse Many luscious fruits and trees live in the rainforest of Costa Rica, but the most virtuous of them all is the great crescent shaped banana. Banana shares his great wisdom with all the fruits and trees beneath the canopy. He teaches Blackberry tree to be grateful for the nourishment of the Great Yellow Sun, sweet Mango tree to follow the moral guidance, and Kiwi blossoms to remember to share its riches with those less fortunate always. The trees and plants listen carefully for they know that Banana speaks the truth and cares for them from this perch in the canopy. The Watcher of the Rainforest, the sly Spider Monkey observed Banana and the teachings he shared with the plant pupils. Spider Monkey questioned whether Banana’s resolve would hold when tested. Spider Monkey settled on a plan. And then came the day when the sun’s light was eclipsed by the moon. As the moon crossed the Great Sun’s path, the fruits and plants of the trees became frightened. “Would the Great Sun ret...

A tentative schedule for the semester: Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4. Week 3: Aesop (Jacobs) Week 4: Adam and Eve Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6. Week 5: Panchatantra Week 6: Khasi Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.] Week 7: Japanese Mythology Week 9: Tibet (Folktales) Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11. Week 10: Alaska Week 11: Inuit Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13. Week 12: Celtic Tales Week 13: Faerie Queene Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15. Week 14: Kalevala Week 15: Russian Fairy Tales First, I would like to say that I am very happy that the course will cover myths and legends from all around the world. In my first year of college, I completed a mythology course in which we spent the first 14 weeks on Greek myths and weeks 15 & 16 on Rome and "the rest of the world....